Sunday Words of Encouragement August 18, 2013

This morning was another special worship and communion service. Before we sang our choir special one of our leaders told a story I had never heard. It is so precious that I decided to share that for today.
[There are several versions of this found through a quick internet search. I liked this one.]

The Boy and his Little Boat
A young boy one day decided to build a sail boat, so he gathered all the necessary materials and slowly and lovingly crafted the object of his dreams. You see, he had always wanted something to invest himself in, something to love. As he carved and sanded his little boat, and painted it carefully, a love for his creation developed in his heart. Each line and each curve was an expression of his heart's desire for what he wanted his little boat to become.

Finally the day came for him to test his little sail boat on the lake near his home. He admired it's beautiful lines, and the billowy sail waving over the sleek bow. As he placed the little boat in the water he grasped the line tied to the front and launched it gently downwind. The boat sailed smoothly off so the boy gave the sailboat more line, and it sailed farther. He was having such a wonderful time.

Suddenly, a gust of wind came up from the lake and blew the line from the boy's grasp. The wind picked up speed and so did the little boat. The boy ran along the shore crying out to the little boat to come back to the shore. But, alas, the boat was not capable of responding to the boy's pleas, and it soon blew out of sight.

How sad the little boy was that he had lost his boat, and he searched many days along the shore of the lake, hoping to recover the sailboat he had lovingly crafted with his own hands. He loved the little boat, and missed it so much, but finally he gave up looking, and settled in his mind that he had lost his hearts dream.

One day, many months later, the boy was walking in the village near his home, and he came upon a toyshop. Many different toys were displayed in the window of the shop. As he drew closer to the window, something caught his eye, and the closer he came, the quicker his heart began to beat. Could it be? Yes! It was! His little boat was displayed prominently in the center of the window. He knew it was his, how could he ever forget those many hours of loving labor over each little detail of his precious sailboat?

He entered the shop and carefully picked up the object of his affection, lovingly caressing the hull. He noticed the price tag and he cautiously approached the shopkeeper. "Excuse me sir, this is my sailboat. I made it myself. I lost it and now I want it back. May I have my little boat back?" No matter how much the boy pleaded with the man, the argument remained the same. The boat had been brought to him one day by a fisherman, and he had paid good money for it. Anyone could pay the asking price, since this sailboat was "For Sale" not "For Free."

Weeping quietly outside the toyshop, the boy spoke to his little boat through the window. "You're mine, because I made you. I love you and I will give all I have to get you back." He looked at the price tag and knew the truth. It would cost him everything he had. It would take all of the coins he had saved for several years of summer jobs to redeem his treasured creation. But no cost was too great, since he loved the little sailboat so much.

The next morning, as soon as the shopkeeper opened for business the boy was there with his hands full of coins and his eyes full of tears. Quietly he counted out the coins into the shopkeeper's hand. He knew this was not fair. The boat had always been his, since he had made it. But, he was willing nonetheless: he had to have the boat back.

Once the exchange was made, the boy quickly ran from the shop to place of privacy in the park nearby, clutching the boat to his heart. "You're mine, little sailboat," he said.  "You're twice mine: once because I made you, and once because I bought you. I'll never let you go now, little boat. You'll always be mine."

Clearly we are like the boat to God -- he created us with care and love and  viewed us as special and precious. Then we became lost through the sin of our lives. But God gave His all - His only son - to buy us back from sin. We are twice His!

This story fit perfectly with our Choir special today, entitled I Am Yours.
Unfortunately I couldn't find that online.
So I found this one instead: Your Beloved.

 

Verses for Today:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

I am grateful day that I belong to GOD  -- by creation and purchase!